2019 Genesis G80

2019 Lincoln Continental

Safety

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Genesis G80 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Lincoln Continental doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Genesis G80 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Lincoln Continental has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

The G80 has standard Anti-Whiplash Front Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Anti-Whiplash Front Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Continental doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Genesis G80 is safer than the Lincoln Continental:

Warranty

The G80 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Continental’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year and 10,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the G80 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lincoln covers the Continental. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Continental ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The G80’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Continental’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the G80 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Lincoln only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Continental.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the G80 has a standard 740-amp battery. The Continental’s 650-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the G80 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the G80’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Continental’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Lincoln vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lincoln is ranked 7th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ December 2018 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Lincoln vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 8 places higher in reliability than Lincoln.

Engine

The G80 has more powerful engines than the Continental:

Horsepower

Torque

G80 3.8 DOHC V6

311 HP

293 lbs.-ft.

G80 3.3T Sport 3.3 turbo V6

365 HP

376 lbs.-ft.

G80 5.0 DOHC V8

420 HP

383 lbs.-ft.

Continental 3.7 DOHC V6

305 HP

280 lbs.-ft.

Continental 2.7 turbo V6

335 HP

380 lbs.-ft.

Continental 3.0 turbo V6

400 HP

400 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the G80 5.0 is faster than the Lincoln Continental 3.0 twin turbo V6:

G80

Continental

Zero to 60 MPH

5.2 sec

5.9 sec

Quarter Mile

13.7 sec

14.2 sec

Speed in 1/4 Mile

104.1 MPH

99.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the G80 gets better fuel mileage than the Continental:

MPG

G80

RWD

3.8 DOHC V6

18 city/26 hwy

3.3 turbo V6

17 city/25 hwy

AWD

3.8 DOHC V6

18 city/24 hwy

3.3 turbo V6

17 city/24 hwy

Continental

FWD

3.7 DOHC V6

17 city/26 hwy

AWD

3.7 DOHC V6

16 city/24 hwy

3.0 turbo V6

16 city/24 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Genesis G80 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on G80 3.3T Sport for maximum performance). The Continental requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The G80 has 2.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Continental (20.3 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Genesis G80, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Continental.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the G80 3.3T Sport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Continental:

G80 3.3T Sport

Continental

Front Rotors

14.2 inches

13.9 inches

The G80 3.3T Sport’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Continental are solid, not vented.

The G80 stops shorter than the Continental:

G80

Continental

70 to 0 MPH

167 feet

170 feet

Car and Driver

60 to 0 MPH

114 feet

120 feet

Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the G80 has larger standard tires than the Continental (245/45R18 vs. 235/50R18).

The G80 3.8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Continental Standard’s standard 50 series tires. The G80’s optional 275/35R19 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Continental Select/Reserve’s optional 40 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The G80 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Continental’s suspension doesn’t offer front gas-charged shocks.

The G80 5.0 handles at .88 G’s, while the Continental Black Label AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Cargo Capacity

Servicing Ease

The engine in the G80 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Continental. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The G80 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and fuel theft. The Continental doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The G80 3.8 AWD offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Continental doesn’t offer headlight washers.

When the G80 is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Continental’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the G80 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the G80 with a number “” insurance rate while the Continental is rated higher at a number “3” rate.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Genesis G80 will be $2914 to $5605 less than for the Lincoln Continental.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Genesis G80 and the Lincoln Continental, based on reliability, safety and performance.